Scott Peterson hearing to focus on DNA testing

Scott Peterson hearing to focus on DNA testing of items gathered during original murder investigation

Updated: 12:13 PM EDT May 29, 2024

ALL RIGHT, A LOT OF RED. ALL RIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH, BRIAN. HAPPENING IN JUST AN HOUR. ATTORNEYS FOR CONVICTED KILLER SCOTT PETERSON WILL BE BACK IN COURT AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR QUEST TO REOPEN HIS CASE. SO A JURY CONVICTED PETERSON NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO OF MURDERING HIS WIFE, LACI, AND THEIR UNBORN CHILD ON CHRISTMAS EVE IN 2002. KCRA 3’S MICHELLE BANDUR IS HEADED TO THE COURTROOM NOW AND JOINS US LIVE OVER THE PHONE. SO, MICHELLE, YOU’VE COVERED A NUMBER OF THESE HEARINGS. EXPLAIN HOW SCOTT PETERSON’S LAWYERS ARE TRYING TO PROVE HIS INNOCENCE TODAY. WELL, GOOD MORNING BRANDI. YES, WE JUST ARRIVED IN REDWOOD CITY AND WE ARE OUTSIDE THE SAN MATEO COUNTY COURT. COURT WILL START IN ABOUT AN HOUR. AND AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE’VE HAD A COUPLE HEARINGS BEFORE TODAY’S WHERE THEY’VE JUST BEEN PROCEDURAL HEARINGS GOING OVER SCHEDULES AND MOTIONS, BUT TODAY IS GOING TO BE A PRETTY A PRETTY IMPORTANT HEARING. THIS IS WHERE THE DEFENSE WITH THE LA INNOCENCE PROJECT TOOK UP HIS CASE. AND IN JANUARY. AND IT’S A DNA HEARING. BASICALLY THE DEFENSE IS TRYING TO GET CERTAIN ITEMS THAT WERE IN EVIDENCE 20 YEARS AGO TESTED FOR DNA OR RETESTED BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES. SO TODAY WE’RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT THOSE ARGUMENTS AS TO WHY THE DEFENSE THINKS THESE PARTICULAR ITEMS ARE IMPORTANT. AND WHY THEY SHOULD BE TESTED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL IN THE HOPES FOR SCOTT PETERSON. HE WANTS A NEW TRIAL. HE’S BEEN DECLARING HIS INNOCENCE THE WHOLE TIME. SO THIS IS JUST WOULD BE ONE STEP IN TRYING TO GET A NEW TRIAL FOR PETERSON. AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING RIGHT NOW. IT’S A CASE THAT CAPTIVATED THE NATION WHEN IT INITIALLY HAPPENED. MICHELLE, ANYTHING PARTICULARLY THAT YOU HAVE NOTICED SINCE YOU’VE BEEN IN THESE HEARINGS BEFORE? WELL, WELL, LIKE YOU SAID, IT’S CAPTIVATED THE THE WORLD REALLY. AND THERE’S PRETTY MUCH MORE MEDIA HERE THAN THERE ARE COURTROOM OBSERVERS. UM, IN THERE IN THE COURTROOM, HE, SCOTT PETERSON HIMSELF IS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE AT THE MULE CREEK STATE PRISON, AND HE’S APPEARING VIRTUALLY BY ZOOM. SO HE’S HE’S POLITE, YOU KNOW, HE RESPONDS TO THE JUDGE’S QUESTIONS, AND HE APPEARS AS THOUGH HE’S LISTENING ATTENTIVELY TO THE PROCEEDING. BUT YEAH, I THINK TODAY IS THE ONE WE’RE REALLY GOING TO WANT TO WATCH, BECAUSE THIS IS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN EVIDENCE THAT WAS FOUND AND WONDERING IF THEY WOULD FIND LACI PETERSON’S DNA ON ANY OF THESE, ANY OF THIS, THESE ITEMS, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TARP FOUND IN THE BAY ABOUT 20FT SOUTH OF WHERE LACI’S REMAINS WERE FOUND. UM, THE THE DEFENSE WANTS A PLASTIC BAG THAT WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE BAY AREA WHERE HER REMAINS AND CONNER’S REMAINS WERE FOUND. THEY WANT THAT TESTED. THERE’S ALSO QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS BURNED OUT VAN THAT WAS FOUND MODESTO NEIGHBORHOOD AND A BLOOD STAINED MATTRESS. THEY WANT TESTING DONE ON THAT. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE THEY’RE ALL SAYING THAT THEY BELIEVE LACI WAS THE DEFENSE IS SAYING LACI WAS ALIVE WHEN SCOTT PETERSON WENT FISHING THAT CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING. AND THEY BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL CONNECTED, OF COURSE, AND WANT THAT TESTING DONE SO THEY CAN GET THAT NEW, NEW TRIAL FORUM ALL RIGHT, MICHELLE, WE KNOW THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO COVERING THIS FOR US. AND FOLKS AT HOME. MICHELLE WILL BE IN COURT ALL MORNING. SHE’LL HAVE UPDATES BOTH ON AIR AND ON THE KCRA THREE APP FOR THE VERY LATEST SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE. EVEN WHEN WE’RE NOT LIVE ON AIR, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TH

Scott Peterson hearing to focus on DNA testing of items gathered during original murder investigation

Updated: 12:13 PM EDT May 29, 2024

Convicted killer Scott Peterson will be back in a San Mateo, California, courtroom on Wednesday as he continues his legal fight to overturn his murder conviction. A jury convicted Peterson nearly 20 years ago of murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son Conner on Christmas Eve in 2002. Peterson’s new team of lawyers with the LA Innocence Project are requesting that items gathered during the original murder investigation undergo DNA testing. That includes articles in evidence that were never tested – a bloody mattress found inside a burned-out van found near the Petersons’ Modesto home, a tarp found in the San Francisco Bay 20 feet from where Laci’s remains were discovered, as well as a plastic bag found in the same area and duct tape and twine found on the remains of Laci’s fetus. See photos of these items below: The prosecution argues there is no need for DNA testing as other evidence led to Peterson’s conviction. They also argue that Laci’s family deserves closure and that the case should not be reopened.Peterson will appear virtually from the Mule Creek State Prison where he is serving a life sentence. A judge overturned Peterson’s death sentence in 2020.

SAN MATEO, Calif. —

Convicted killer Scott Peterson will be back in a San Mateo, California, courtroom on Wednesday as he continues his legal fight to overturn his murder conviction.

A jury convicted Peterson nearly 20 years ago of murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son Conner on Christmas Eve in 2002.

Peterson’s new team of lawyers with the LA Innocence Project are requesting that items gathered during the original murder investigation undergo DNA testing.

That includes articles in evidence that were never tested – a bloody mattress found inside a burned-out van found near the Petersons’ Modesto home, a tarp found in the San Francisco Bay 20 feet from where Laci’s remains were discovered, as well as a plastic bag found in the same area and duct tape and twine found on the remains of Laci’s fetus.

See photos of these items below:

The prosecution argues there is no need for DNA testing as other evidence led to Peterson’s conviction. They also argue that Laci’s family deserves closure and that the case should not be reopened.

Peterson will appear virtually from the Mule Creek State Prison where he is serving a life sentence.

A judge overturned Peterson’s death sentence in 2020.